Princeton 10k

So last Monday, Memorial Day, I raced a double 10k/5k.  Both felt incredibly hard.  The course didn't seem too tough,  I was just tired.  It was hot.

I haven't been feeling great which is likely due to some minor health related stuff. I could not expect to run fast, since I had not run fast in a while. To me racing fast is kind of like that expression about money (It takes money to make money). I cant seem to run to fast unless I have run fast.  So without speedwork, what can I expect?   My 10k on Monday was a tough one and I cruised in at 47:10 (ugh... this was 2 minutes slower than the last 10k I raced in April, b/f I started the new medicine that I feel slowed me down).   I had high hopes for the 5k that started 30 minutes later, but that was no better at 23:40.

Today just felt different.  The weather was nicer. It was very cool and not very humid.  However, the course may have been hillier, but I didn't think it was too bad..  All I know is I LOVE a track finish and I couldn't wait to get there. 

I started behind Mark who ran about a 43 minute 10k on Monday.  It seemed wrong to start out ahead of him. :)   Martin got a great start and I spent about 1 mile trying to catch up to him without working to hard.  The course was a nice mixture of ups and downs. 

The first half seemed to be more down than up.  Mile 1 was 7:08, Mile 2 was 7:12,  Mile 3 was 7: 16 and my 5k split was 22:26.  I felt good and wondered if I could see a 44 on the clock today.

The second half seemed to be a bit more up (or maybe I was just getting tired).  Mile 4 (7:26) and Mile 5 (7:32) were not the best.  The temperature started warming up a bit and my wheezing got bad, but I felt ok.  An EMT started hovering.  I pretended like I was winning and was running with the lead bike. :)  He asked me if I was ok, and I explained that I have asthma.  He did not trust that I was ok and stayed near me until just before Mile 6 (7:16). 

During the second half of this race I had a song stuck in my head.  Without fail whenever a song plays in my head, I know I am having a good race.  Today's song was Rolling in the Deep by Adele.  During this last mile, the refrain repeated in my mind and I picked off all those I could catch.  I moved up the ranks of females passing about 4 women and setting my sight on one more for the track lap.

We entered the track and I picked up the pace.  So did the woman ahead of me.  However, I just LOVE the track and I knew I could blast past her in a 200 meter dash.  However she started kicking.  I wanted to be ahead of her by the curve, so I could hug the inside and force her to take the outside to pass me by, but I just couldn't catch her.  This means I needed to take the outside and with 100 meters to go, that is just what I did.  I gave everything I had, took the one extra place and ran that last .2 was 1:17 (6:24 pace).

I finished in 45:10, 8th female and 1 in my AG.

I have run faster 10k's as splits in other races when in my best shape.  However, I am happy with this effort and was very pleased to see a 2 minute drop off my 10k in 6 days!  Ironically, I was exactly 1 second slower than my fastest 10k this year which is a good place to be after taking a medication that had some serious but reversible side-effects.

After the race, Liz (who came to cheer), Martin (my racing buddy) and I all went for breakfast in Princeton.

What a great run!   I love a good runner's high :)